A Trip To Market; AKA The Thrift Store

Bienvenue All,

Today I want to help out my fellow lower to middle class patrons who don't exactly have the money to buy $50+ worth of fabric for a project. I know it can get expensive, especially with period fabrics. Linen and wool can both go for anywhere from $10 - $25 a yard. That can rack up, and fast. Petticoats require at least 4 yards for waist sizes 32"-38", and 5 yards for anything more than that. Cotton can be cheaper, but that's still a lot of material. So, how do we get around this? Well my friends, the answer is the thrift store. Most, if not all, thrift stores have a linen section. That's right, curtains and bed sheets guys. Sometimes they have table cloths and scrap pieces of fabric. Below is a picture of various fabrics I found at my local goodwill and salvation army stores. In order from left to right we have 6 yds flannel (sheets), a 32" radius circle of cotton (table cloth), 4 yds linen (scrap cloth they had), below that is 2 yds linen (table cloth). The second row is 2.5 yds cotton (sheet), 2.67 yds wool (scrap cloth), and 2.5 yds cotton (sheet). That does not include what I have already used for other things like petticoats and my shift.

I've bought all of this over the past couple months (I go out once or twice a week just to see what I can find) and spent about $20. Collectively, this amount of material is worth at least $300.

The trick is to find the right kind of fabric, and the right size. I look for 100% cotton, linen, or wool. If you happen to also find a linen/cotton blend that's fine. Linen can be hard to come by, but cotton sheets are plenty. Look along the bottom seams for a tag. If you see polyester, pass it up. Unless it's in a color you absolutely love, and don't mind being a little un-authentic, look for something that's 100%. It breathes better, and I think it's more comfortable. I try to find at least full size for sheets, but a twin can be fine for petticoats, and most stays only require a yard of fabric. Also, don't pass up the fitted sheets. All it takes to convert one is some seam ripping. A side note about stays, if you find that normal boning isn't strong enough for you, it's too expensive, or you can't get the amount you need, I use zip ties. 14" is a good standard size, they're thin which makes them good for smaller channels that are close together, or you can get the 24" or 36" which are wider. It depends on how much you want to use. I can get a pack of 100 of the 14" for $6 at home depot.

As for sizes, most flat sheets are sized as follows:

• Twin - 66" x 96" = 1.83 x 2.67 yds
• Full - 80" x 94" = 2.2 x 2.61 yds
• Queen - 90" x 102" = 2.5 x 2.8 yds
• King - 110 x 102" = 3.05 x 2.8 yds
• California King - 108" x 102" = 3 x 2.8 yds

If you get fitted sheets, they're usually smaller, and curtains can be of various sizes. I usually go by color first. Browse the isles and see if there's anything that catches your eye. It might seem weird, but I touch EVERYTHING. If you don't like the way it feels at first contact, you won't like it all over you for an extended period of time. If you see a color you like, and it feels ok, check the tag. You may have to flip through some layers before you find it, and there might not even be a tag, but if you find it, check the material. What's it made of? Is it a blend? If it is a blend, how much? Are you willing to deal with the consequences of wearing polyester when it's 90 degrees outside? It's all about your preference. If you don't think it's worth it, then move on to the next piece. After a little while you'll be able to tell what something is made of without checking the tag, and can guess pretty well if there isn't one. If you find a scrap piece of fabric that you suspect is a blend, you can tell by looking at the open edge; if the fibers are soft and silky, there's polyester in it.

If you find a piece that you like, but aren't sure if there's enough for you project, trick that I use is knowing the measurement equivalent of certain body parts. For example, from my finger tips to the middle of my chest is a yard, and my hand is 7" from wrist to tip. That comes in handy for scrap pieces like napkins. If I'm looking for material to make a bag or a fichu, I might only need a pillow case. It all depends on what you're looking for and if you're willing to go hunting for it. 

It can seem daunting, and you may even feel a little embarrassed about looking for sheets in a thrift store, but if anyone looks at you funny, just remember that they're in the store too.

Thanks for visiting and enjoy the crazy. See you next time.

Making A Fichu

Hello all,

In this episode of TAOBP we will be covering how to make a fichu. For those of you who have no idea what this is, a fichu is another word for a modesty cloth. Now I decided I wanted to go with 2 different styles just in case I wanna change it up. So we'll actually be making two fichus today. Let's being shall we?

For the first one I'm starting with a long piece of wool that's 60" long, and 30" wide. I'm going to cut the piece in half and sew them back together longways. So it'll look like this:

I pretty much just folded it in half and cut it there. Now, having two even pieces, I'm going to reconnect them. This step could be totally taken out if you have a square piece of fabric and you just cut up the middle and hem it back. However you want to do it is fine, this 'pattern' will give you a square back instead of a triangle like the next one. My fichu may be wider or thinner than yours, or longer or shorter. It all depends on your preference and body type. As a rather busty patron myself, my cloth has to come down low enough to meet in the middle and cover all my lady bits while not bunching at the sides and back of my neck, and still hanging down low enough in the back to cover the top of my stays. I also have wide, manly shoulders, and a thyroid problem so my neck is a bit thicker. This has to be taken into consideration when choosing the width and length. You don't want to end up with a tiny modesty cloth that doesn't cover what it's meant to. In colonial standards it was improper to have anything lower than 4-5" below the hollow of your neck to be showing. You shoulders would have been covered by your shift, but the modesty cloth would have swung along the lining of your stays to also cover most of your collar bone.

So now we're connected, hem everything so it's beautiful (I'll be going over the seams by hand but you can leave it this way if you want) and you're done!

Now the next one can be done one of two ways. You can cut on the fold so you have a single piece, or you can cut two of the pattern and sew it up the middle. Either way you end up with a triangle and dangley bits. Here's what I'm using:

For this one I decided to make it out of a blue linen/poly blend. Polyester is probably the most un-period fabric of all the period-looking options and I cannot stress enough how much you shouldn't use it. BUT this is a modesty cloth. If I were making a  petticoat, shift, stays, anything that you can't take off without staying decent, I would be using cotton, linen, or a cotton/linen blend. Wool is good for petticoats, and if your persona is Scottish, like Maeve, you can also use flannel. "But Bethany, why does it matter?" you ask. Well, polyester does not breathe. Like at all. So if you happen to find yourself in a field with no shade and it's 90 degrees out, you might get a little air from the linen or cotton in the blend, but not much. I just happened to find this in the scrap bin and decided I liked the color. I have a piece of pink as well that I may use this pattern for. As Captain Barbossa says, it's more of a guideline than a rule.

Once you've got everything cut out, hem it back, just like before.  If you want to add frillies or lace be my guest. With a middle class persona I tend to lean more towards the work friendly options. One of these days I'll make a full Lady's kit with a fancy gown and stomacher and lots of lace, but for now we're just gonna stick with the standard.

You may or may not have noticed that I make my own patterns. This is because I often make more than one of something, either for my best friend, Katy, who also occasionally participates in living history - and majestically has mostly the same measurements as I do -, as display pieces, or just because I like to have more than one of practically everything. Having my own patterns made from heavy drawing paper (80 lbs) lets me adjust them to my preferences, and I don't have to worry about that delicate, super thin pattern paper. Seriously, who actually likes that stuff. Anyway, it's also a plus because tracing them onto the fabric holds for better lines as I usually use soap or a pencil. Here's basically what they should look like when they're done. Yours will be beautiful and hemmed unlike my blue one. I wanted to get this out to you guys as soon as possible.

Thanks for visiting and enjoy the crazy. See you next time.

To Cheat Or Not To Cheat...

Good evening all, 

This post will be short and to the point. I'm wondering weather or not other people have encountered this question before.

I have before me a set of stays that are complete except for the outside. Bias tape is not period, so I'm using a thick muslin. I'm running low on pins, and a thought occurs to me; I have in my possession a small stapler. Now, I will say that the staples are holding nicely, but does anyone know if this could be a potential problem? I will be hand stitching the edging to the stays, so there is no machine interference. I don't see why not, but I also feel like this is cheating.

Thoughts? Leave me a comment, I want to see what the masses think.

Hello All; Allow Me to Introduce Myself.

Well everyone, thank you for making your way to my first blog. My name is Bethany, and my living history persona is known as Maeve; a Scottish immigrant living in Virginia. In the following paragraphs you will find my adventures in the art of being period. The term "period" is used to describe dressing, acting, talking, or owning things that are accurate to a specific time period. Mostly this is done for conventions, renaissance or history faires, or at places like Historic Jamestowne, Colonial Williamsburg, and Mt. Vernon; any place where "living history" happens. My period is colonial America; 1607 - 1789. The things that I make (or try to make) are all based off of actual garments, objects, or possessions, and are made from period materials - or as close as I can get my hands on/ afford. I specialize in research, but I also sew, weave, and I'm currently learning to spin wool into yarn.

This particular outfit includes my shift, a
pair of lightly boned stays, a belt,
a modesty cloth, and a cotton petticoat. 

So without further ado, let's talk about the things that I've already made. For clothes, this includes petticoats (skirts), not-boned stays (a corset-like objective), kerchiefs (these can be 'handkerchiefs' or a scarf-like garment that men wore around the neck), modesty cloths (also knows as a fichu), slops (pirate breeches - a form of pants worn by men that end just below the knee), shifts (a night gown/ underwear) and weskits (waist coats). I should probably mention that a good chunk of this work has to be done by hand. Any seam that can be seen can not look like it was done with a machine. Unless you don't care. Then I say go for it. But any visible seams on my clothing or accessories have to be covered by hand stitches. Do not be mistaken though, I make very good use of my machine, we are very close friends. For non-clothing, I make belts, bags, sometimes jewelry, and various other odds and ends.

Most of the petticoats I've made either had drawstrings, or are pleated. It really depends on where your persona originates. Mine is Scottish, so a lot of my clothing reflects Scottish origin. However don't hesitate to ask about other origins, I have a plethora of research and I might just have something for you; if I don't I'll do my best to find something. I use either cartridge pleats, or knife pleats. Cartridge is really more accurate for Maeve's social status as lower middle class; also known as the middling; but I have a 38" waist, so all my skirts require at least 4 yards of fabric and cartridge pleats have to be done by hand with a running stitch, then pulled like a curtain and a band is stitched around the pleats through the individual loops. Knife pleats are just quicker, and they fit a little better under stays. This may be different for some people, I also have 49" hips, so my stays have to be altered, and my petticoats hang less tubular and more fairy-princess-esque with cartridge pleating. However I do have both kinds - just in case. I had a petticoat that was drawstring when I first started, but the bulk of a gathered skirt made me look lumpy instead of the desired 'tube' fashion of the day.

I currently have 2 pairs of stays. One is lightly boned; as seen in the picture above, and one is a test pair for the ones that I am making now. There will be another blog about that process so look for it if you're interested. The ones in the picture above are slightly in-accurate. Can anyone guess why? Well the pattern isn't exactly right, and neither is the cut. A period set of stays would have only been cut like that if there was a skirt attached to it; making it a manteau, or a gown. Also little flappy-bits at the bottom where in high fashion. My shift is pretty good, it's made from a cotton bed sheet. If we're getting super technical, the thread count is too high, and it's bleached. But it's cool in the summer, and it fits. You can't see it, but my shift is like a night gown and goes to mid-calf.

Let's talk for just a minute about men's clothing. You may notice that I have a male model, his persona is Thomas O'malley, a sailor from Ireland. Now, I don't make an awful lot of men's clothing, only whatever Thomas needs, or if someone requests something. I've made 2 weskits, a pair of slops, and an embroidered handkerchief. In the picture above is Thomas in his usual get-up, complete with ye old-e flip-flops. He's wearing a shirt and hat that he received from our Captain, a borrowed weskit, the slops I made, and his "swag stick." He often has rope, dice, and a bag of some sort with him. To the right is the weskit. That particular picture was taken before they were finished, sans pockets, lacing holes, or buttons.



Well that's about all I can say for now. Thanks for sticking it out this far and I hope you'll be back.